What Is Computer Vision Syndrome?

Think about how long you stare at a screen per day... that being your laptop, phone, TV & Tablet. With all this screen time, you may experience discomfort in your eyes, which can include things such as dry eyes, watery eyes, blurry vision and tired eyes. Did you know that this can also affect things such as your sleep pattern? Of course the easy way to minimize your risk of pain and discomfort is to limit the amount of time that you stare at a screen, however for most of us it is unavoidable at work and at home.

All of these symptoms have a name. It's called Computer Vision Syndrome. 

We all know that our eyes can feel heavy and fatigued after a long day of staring at a screen, and subconsciously know that we want to avoid any serious long term health issues in the future. Our eyes can become irritated and it's annoying. That's why we put together a list of techniques to help us improve our eye health (NOTE: We are not doctors, so please if you have any issues or concerns, consult your local doctor).

It's not easy to consciously blink more, and you'll probably look a little bit crazy if you try :) ... Luckily there are ways to ease Computer Vision Syndrome & reduce the strain on your eyes.

Wear Blue Light Filtering Glasses

By wearing glasses that filter harmful Blue Light emitted by our screens, we can help protect our eyes from long term damage. You can read more about this on our blog specifically on blue light filtering here.

Use Moistening Eye Drops

It's all about making sure that our eyes have enough moisture. We want to make sure however that we are using eye drops specifically for moistening our eyes and not for redness relief.

Most Doctors Recommend the 20-20-20 Rule

The 20-20-20 Rule goes like this: For every 20 minutes of screen time, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. This is because it requires more energy for our eyes to focus on something at a close distance than it does on a distant target.

After 2 hours of looking at a screen, take a 15 minute break

Take a break! We all need it. Talk to a friend, colleague, go for a walk. This 15 minute break also includes no looking at your phone!

Try avoiding direct sunlight or harsh light on your screen

Any harsh light source on your screen can increase glare, which makes our eyes squint and use even more energy, increasing the chances of Computer Vision Syndrome symptoms. So if you have your computer setup with direct sunlight bouncing off the screen, try move it around or add an Anti-Glare Screen Filter. 

Wear Anti-Glare coated Glasses

All of our Blue Light Filtering glasses come with an anti-glare coat. This helps reduce the glare from your screens and improves overall contrast and legibility of your screen & thus significantly reduces symptoms of Computer Vision Syndrome.